Empty coal train derails near Olney
Derailed coal cars lie in a jumbled heap alongside the railroad tracks just outside of Olney Saturday afternoon after 45 cars of a train heading east from British Columbia derailed.
A massive train derailment left a highway shut down and dozens of cars off the tracks in spectacular fashion Saturday afternoon.
Very little information was yet available Saturday night as to what caused 45 of the train’s empty coal cars to derail just outside of Olney at approximately 3 p.m.
BNSF spokesperson Matthew Jones said no one was injured in the incident. He said the train was eastbound from British Columbia at the time of the derailment.
A notice from the Montana Department of Transportation issued shortly after the derailment indicated the closure of U.S. 93 was expected to last until 11 p.m.
Troopers with the Montana Highway Patrol diverted motorists through Olney and around the area of the derailment, minimizing the highway closure’s effect on traffic.